U.S. patent number 5,511,850 [Application Number 08/367,854] was granted by the patent office on 1996-04-30 for child's automobile safety seat.
Invention is credited to Jimmy M. Coursey.
United States Patent |
5,511,850 |
Coursey |
April 30, 1996 |
Child's automobile safety seat
Abstract
A children's automobile safety seat including an L-shaped frame,
a seat portion and a backrest portion constructed as an integral
unit, both of which are connected to the L-shaped frame. A padded,
C-shaped safety bar is attached to the L-shaped frame such that the
safety bar is disposed in a generally horizontal plane which is
parallel to the seat portion. There is a pivoting mechanism for
pivotally connecting a first end of the safety bar to a first side
of the L-shaped frame, and a disconnecting mechanism for detachably
connecting a second end of the safety bar to a second side of the
L-shaped frame. A first air bag is stored within the safety bar,
and a second air bag is stored within the seat portion.
Inventors: |
Coursey; Jimmy M. (Lyons,
GA) |
Family
ID: |
23448913 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/367,854 |
Filed: |
January 3, 1995 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/216.11;
297/256.15; 297/488; 297/DIG.3; 280/730.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N
2/2839 (20130101); B60N 2/286 (20130101); Y10S
297/03 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60N
2/28 (20060101); B60N 2/26 (20060101); B60N
002/28 () |
Field of
Search: |
;297/256.15,250.1,216.11,216.1,DIG.3,488,487,284.6 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Nelson, Jr.; Milton
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Miller; Henry S. Rhodes &
Ascolillo
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A children's automobile safety seat, comprising:
an L-shaped frame;
a seat portion and a backrest portion constructed as an integral
unit, both of which are connected to the L-shaped frame;
a padded, C-shaped safety bar attached to the L-shaped frame such
that the safety bar is disposed in a generally horizontal plane
which is parallel to the seat portion;
pivoting means for pivotally connecting a first end of said safety
bar to a first side of the L-shaped frame;
disconnecting means for detachably connecting a second end of said
safety bar to a second side of the L-shaped frame;
a first air bag housed within said safety bar and automatically
deployable therefrom; and
a second air bag housed within said seat portion and automatically
deployable therefrom.
2. The automobile safety seat as described in claim 1, wherein said
first air bag is centrally located within said padded C-shaped
safety bar and protects the upper extremities of an infant during
inflation of said first air bag caused by collision.
3. The automobile safety seat as described in claim 2, wherein said
second air bag is substantially centrally located within said seat
portion and protects the lower extremities of an infant during
inflation of said air bag.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an automobile safety
seat for children and, more particularly, to a seat having a
pivotally detachable safety bar and double air bag protection.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,962 issued to P. Meeker on Feb. 5, 1980 relates
to a rigid support and restraining stand for an infant car seat
having opposed legs pivotally mounted to the seat. A bight member
is connected to the opposed legs by associated rod members. The rod
members and legs form an acute angle whereby the bight member
firmly grasps the front edge of the auto seat when the infant car
seat is in a rearward facing position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,900 issued to J. Coult on Aug 5, 1980 discloses
a safety seat with interconnecting legs and a frame structure which
is removably mounted to a vehicle passenger seat. The seat is
mounted to the frame by a rotation mechanism adapted to an
intermediate structure. A hydraulic cylinder is used as a
deceleration mechanism to retard rotation of the seat upon
application of external forces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,122 issued to J. Kain on Feb. 4, 1986 relates
to an automobile booster seat having a unitary seat portion,
upwardly extending sidewalls, and a tubular frame above the
sidewalls. The seat is provided with an outer channel for accepting
an automobile seat belt so as to maintain the seat firmly against
the automobile seat when the seat belt is secured.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,456 issued to K. Kassai on Dec. 30, 1986
discloses a children's automobile-mounted safety seat having a body
support with a seat portion, a base, and reclining adjustment
members for adjusting the angle of inclination of the body support
portion. A journal shaft connects the seat portion to the base and
is positioned in a cavity located in the base.
It is well recognized that safety standards with respect to
automobile design are increasingly more stringent. By the end of
the decade, every automobile manufactured in the United States will
come equipped with both driver's and passenger's side air bags. In
a similar manner, more attention is also being paid to new and
improved designs for child safety seats which attach to existing
automobile seats.
Apparatus such as those disclosed in the above identified patents
all address, in various embodiments, ways of improving the securing
means by which a child booster seat is mated with an existing
automobile passenger seat. However, all of those devices employ
passive restraint systems (i.e. seatbelt mechanisms) by which the
child is protected from injury upon a collision. In contrast, the
present invention attempts to duplicate, in a child's vehicle
booster seat, the protections afforded by newer automobiles by
including strategically located air bags within the seat itself in
order to better protect the upper and lower extremities of the
child.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to
provide a child's automobile mounted safety seat which is equipped
with its own set of airbags.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a seat
which employs a first airbag to protect the upper extremities of a
child and a second airbag to protect the lower extremities of the
child.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a
vehicle safety seat which has a pivotally detachable safety bar
which allows easier access of the child to and from the seat.
The present invention achieves the above objects, among others, by
providing in one aspect a children's automobile safety seat,
including an L-shaped frame, a seat portion and a backrest portion
constructed as an integral unit, both of which are connected to the
L-shaped frame. A C-shaped safety bar is attached to the L-shaped
frame such that the safety bar is disposed in a generally
horizontal plane which is parallel to the seat portion. The safety
bar has a first end pivotally connected to a first side of the
L-shaped frame and a second end detachably connected to a second
side of the L-shaped frame. In this manner, the safety bar may
freely pivot along the generally horizontal plane when the second
end is detached from the L-shaped frame.
Preferably, the safety seat also includes a first air bag housed
within the safety bar, and a second air bag housed within the seat
portion. A depressible release button is located on the second side
of said L-shaped frame to allow the second end of the safety bar to
be released and freely pivot.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will become more apparent from the following
detailed description of the present invention when taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automobile-mounted child safety
seat according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the safety seat which also shows the
pivoting motion of the C-shaped safety bar; and
FIG. 3 is a side view, taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 1, which
illustrates the deployment of the double air bags while the seat is
occupied by an infant.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring initially to FIG. 1, there is shown an automobile-mounted
safety seat for children and infants, generally designated by the
reference numeral 10. The safety seat 10 includes a generally
L-shaped frame 12, to which an integrally constructed seat portion
14 and backrest portion 16 are affixed. The frame 12 is preferably
constructed from durable, molded plastic material; however,
lightweight metallic alloys, such as aluminum, are also acceptable.
The seat and backrest portions 14, 16 may be furnished with ribbed
foam cushioning 18, as is typically used for the passenger seats
100 in automobiles, and may be attached to the frame 12 with
standard fasteners or rivets located along molded attachment points
thereon.
Positioned approximately midway across the L-shaped frame 12 is a
C-shaped safety bar 20. As is best seen in FIG. 2, the safety bar
20 has a first end 22 which is pivotally attached to a first end 24
of the L-shaped frame 12 by means of a hinged joint 26. Joint 26
allows the safety bar 20 to freely pivot along a substantially
horizontal plane parallel to the seat portion 14. Located at a
second end 28 of the safety bar 20 is a disconnect mechanism 30
which is activated by depressing a release button 32 mounted on a
second end 34 of the L-shaped frame 12. The disconnect mechanism 30
functions essentially the same way as an ordinary seat belt buckle,
which is well known in the art. Mechanism 30 allows a parent to
quickly and easily disconnect the safety bar 20 for placement or
removal of the child within the seat 10.
Most importantly, however, the seat 10 features a first air bag
compartment 40 centrally disposed within a padded portion 42 of the
safety bar 20. Padded portion 42 may be attached to the safety bar
20 through any suitable commercial method, such as adhesive strips
or glues. In addition, a second air bag compartment 44 is also
provided within the seat portion 14 of the seat 10. Both air bag
compartments 40, 44 contain air bags therewithin, the air bags
being of the same type used in the steering wheels of ordinary
automobiles. The deployment of both airbags is best seen in FIG. 3.
Upon significant impact caused by an automobile collision, air bags
50 and 52 are inflated through conventional methods known in the
art, such as carbon dioxide gas canisters. The first air bag 50,
located within (and attached to) safety bar 20, serves to protect
the upper extremities (head and chest) of the infant 60, while the
second air bag 52, located within (and attached to) seat portion
14, serves to protect the lower extremities (crotch area) of the
infant 60.
Finally, it should be noted that the air bags 50 and 52 should be
supplied with ordinary but well known activation mechanisms not
shown here (such as "air over mechanical" or "air over electrical"
pressure devices) which are easily accessible to the owner or other
passengers of the vehicle.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those
elucidated in, or made apparent from, the preceding description,
are efficiently attained. Since certain changes may be made in the
above construction without departing from the scope of the
invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above
description or shown on the accompanying drawing shall be
interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended
to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention
herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention
which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall
therebetween.
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